To give you an idea of its explosive power, 250 grams (half a pound) of Semtex could destroy a commercial passenger airplane, as sadly proven in the case of Pan Am Flight 103. In has even surpassed C4 in the preferences of terrorists all around the world, due to the fact that it was, until recently, extremely difficult to detect and easily obtained. Less than a pound of C-4 could potentially kill several people and several military issued M112 blocks of C-4, weighing about 1.25 pounds (half a kilogram) each, could potentially demolish a truck.īecause of its stability and sheer destructive power, C-4 has attracted the attention of terrorists and guerilla fighters all over the world, and as long as it is readily accessible, C-4 will continue to be a primary weapon in the terrorist arsenal.Īn all-purpose plastic explosive, it is used in commercial blasting, demolition and in certain military applications. The binder has two important jobs: it coats the explosive material, so it's less sensitive to shock and heat, which makes it relatively safe to handle the explosive and it makes the explosive material highly malleable, so that you can mold it into different shapes to change the direction of the explosion.
The basic idea of plastic explosives, also called plastic bonded explosives (PBX), is to combine explosive chemicals with a plastic binder material.
C4 PLASTIC EXPLOSIVE NEW VEGAS CRACK
This explosive has been used in most military conflicts, mainly for destroying buildings, bridges and other terrestrial infrastructures of the enemy, but also by bank robbers wanting to crack open safes, as depicted in most westerns.Ĭ-4, or composition 4, is one variety of plastic explosives. In fact, whereas TNT is a specific chemical compound, dynamite is an absorbent mixture soaked in nitroglycerin that is compressed into a cylindrical shape and wrapped in paper.īased on the explosive potential of nitroglycerin, dynamite is considered a high explosive, meaning that it detonates instead of deflagrating, meaning that energy from the initial decomposition causes a pressure gradient that detonates the surrounding fuel. It is a common misconception that TNT and dynamite are the same, or that dynamite contains TNT. Less powerful than other commercial and military alternatives, it can be found in many blends and was even used as filling for armor piercing artillery shells. It's very effective in water, too, since it doesn't react with it, making it the weapon of choice for underwater bombings. The most commonly used explosive compound, in military and industrial purposes melts at 80C (180F), far below the temperature at which it will spontaneously detonate, allowing it to be poured as well as safely combined with other explosives. In fact, the explosive power of TNT is still considered the standard measure of strength of bombs and other explosives. Trinitrotoluene is best known as a useful explosive material that handles really well, being relatively insensible to shock, friction and most mechanical influences. Well, that's nice to know, but what are the most effective explosives, besides the nuclear bomb?
An explosion is a sudden increase in volume and release of energy in a violent manner, usually with the generation of high temperatures and the release of gases.